Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1887-01-16

Queer Occurrence On o TraiB-The
Trouble AmicnbIy Settled.

Qucer occurrence On q Trntn-Tne
Trouble AmicnbIy Settled.
A Buffalo dispatch TO the New York
San relates the following
Wednesday was printed an account
of an encounter on q Niagan-Falls
train between the Rev Oliver J. Booth,
rector of the Church Of the Ascension
Of this city, and Il stranger whose name
was said 10 be Smythe. This afternoon
It was learned that the preachers as
sailant WAS General William SOoy
Smith, the hero OF the cavalry charge
on Mobile, and now a civil engineer
and contractor. II appears that
General Smith, who is now over
ffty-hye years of age, was married for
the third time to Miss Josie Hartwell
OF 81. GATHERINGS. She is only thirty
years old, and is "A beautiful BLONDE,
wEo had long been the belle OF st.
Catherine, She has blue eyes and light
hair, is Of medium height, and has u
fine physique. The General met h,T
on western trip, and il was a case o.
love Mt first sight. The Rev. Mr.. Booth
married them. He had been until. two
years ago the rector Of St Thomass
church in It. GATHERINGS, having gone
there five years before from Montreal.
there he had been bank clerk before
taking holy orders. At st. GATHERINGS
he married Miss st. John, whose father
is wealthy. The Hartwell and st. John
families have long been intimate.
A few weeks ago General Smiths
wife went home to visit her mother,
and at Christmas-tide Mr.. Booth also
went to st. GATHERINGS. General
Smiths friends say that he was jealous
Of his beautiful wife, and that her
former admirers took occasion to make
him unhappy by sending him letters ii
which unkindly words were said about
her conduct. The trouble on the train
is ascribed TO one of these letters,
which said that Mr.. Booth was too
friendly to Mrs Smith, and that he WIS
going over TO see her. The General
found the clergyman on the train, and
accused him of attempting to interfere
with his domestic affairs. This led to
an indignant denial, and was followed by
an excited conversation. General Smith
took DR.. Booth. by the throat, when
William ODonnell, the brakeman, in
tcrfercd. Edmund Wheeler, friend
of the rector, also aided i'll restoring
peace, and there was no further violence
until after Mr.. Wheeler left the train ut
Niagara Falls Then the discussion
was resumed, and, according to the
brakeman, General Smith drew his ro
vOlver while the train was mt Suspension
bridge. ODonnell took the weapon
away.
General Smith and the rector went to
the Western Hotel, where they OBJ
tanned a room, in which they had
long talk. Engineer Sackett, of the
Erie railroad, who was an occupant OF
the next room, was an unwilling listener
to some of the conversation. The Gen
eral accused Mr.. Booth of kissing his
wife, and said he had documentary evi-
dence of the truth of his allegation.
I he minister denied it, and evidently
satisfied General Smith that he was III
nocent, for they went together to st.
GATHERINGS to see their wives
Mr.. Booth came to Buffalo last eve
ming. He was seen by the SIM reporter
and asked about the occurrence. Al
first he said that nothing OF the kind
had happened, but afterwards he said
that the affair Was due to misunder-
standing The attack WAS entirely I'M
provoked, he said, and there WAS ~
ground for the accusation that he hal
been intimate with Mrs Smith. The
matter had been amicably adjusted, and
he would only authorize that statement
without using his name.
General Smith was seen at st. Cattle
rines this afternoon. He did not deny
that there was trouble on the train, but
refused TO talk about the cause. He
and his wife will return to New York
together. They attended concert ut
st. Thomas church with the Booth
family on the night after the episode
on the train. Friends of the family
are indignant that publicity is given to
the case. The Suns dispatch was re-
printed by the st. GATHERINGS Journal
this afternoon, and the Office was
quickly crowded with persons eager to
read it. William Carlisle, a dry-goods
merchant of St. GATHERINGS, was on the
train, but he was cautioned about tell
ing what he SAW. Enough was known,
however to excite curiosity.
i. V. Hartwell, General Smiths
brother-in-law, who lives with him at
No. Gao Madison avenue, hadn't heard
of the Generals adventure, and ex-
pressed incrcdulity about it last night.
lie received n letter from General Smith
yesterday, but it contained no reference
to any such occurrence. Mr. Hartwell
got a telegram yesterday, stating that
General Smith would be in town to-
morrow. He went to ST. GATHERINGS
with his wife fortnight ago to spend
IL. / Il: L.. al, ,.,1of;,.,..